Cleaning & Organizing Laundry

Is Bleach or Baking Soda Better for White Clothes?

By
Sarah Aguirre
Sarah Aguirre
Sarah Aguirre is a housekeeping expert with over 20 years of experience cleaning residentially and commercially. Over that time, she has been writing about tips and tricks for housekeeping and organizing a home for national publications.
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Updated on 07/15/22
Reviewed by
Rhea Mehta
Dr. Rhea Mehta, PhD
Reviewed by Rhea Mehta
Rhea Mehta, PhD, is an award-winning toxicologist who has worked to empower people to lead healthier lives, starting in their homes, for over a decade. Rhea holds a PhD in Toxicology, with over 15 scientific publications, and a certificate in integrative health coaching. 
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Fact checked by
Jillian Dara
Jillian Dara
Fact checked by Jillian Dara
Jillian is a freelance journalist with 10 years of editorial experience in the lifestyle genre. She is a writer and fact checker for TripSavvy, as well as a fact-checker for The Spruce.
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bleach and baking soda for clothing whitening

The Spruce / Letícia Almeida

Bleach and baking soda are valuable in the laundry and are particularly useful in cleaning white clothes. Bleach is suitable for making whites whiter, while baking soda helps make white clothes fresher. Here's how to use bleach, baking soda, or both together when washing your white garments.

Chlorine Bleach

Bleach has been the gold standard for getting ​white clothes back to pristine condition for years. When used properly, bleach excels at removing stains and grime from white clothing and sanitizing your garments.

If you have a washing machine without a bleach dispenser, pour 1/2 cup of bleach into the wash water after adding the detergent but before adding the clothes. In machines that have a bleach dispenser, just fill the dispenser to the fill line without measuring. In extra-large machines use 1 cup of bleach added to the water after the detergent is added and before adding the clothes.

Most white fabrics and some colored garments can be bleached.

Warning

However, don't bleach with wool, silk spandex, leather, or mohair. If you aren't sure if your garment can be bleached, mix 1.5 teaspoons bleach in 1/4 cup of water. Apply one drop of the mixture to a hidden area of the garment. Wait a minute and then blot with a towel. If you don't see a color change, you can bleach the garment.

Baking Soda

While baking soda is more often known for its odor control qualities, it does have natural whitening capabilities that are appreciated by people who would rather not turn to bleach. Adding baking soda to the laundry gently cleans your clothes and removes tough smells and stains. It also softens clothes and boosts the detergent's power. It even keeps the washing machine clean.

To use baking soda in the laundry, add the detergent and clothes to the water as usual. Then add 1/2 cup of baking soda to the filled washing machine.

Baking soda is a natural stain remover that can be used on most types of fabric. Mix baking soda with water to form a thick paste then apply the paste to the stain. After it dries, wash it off with water. This mixture works to remove stains caused by food, oil, grease, and dirt.

The Best of Both Worlds: Bleach and Baking Soda Together

The best thing about baking soda in the laundry is its ability to act as a natural boosting agent for bleach. You can use 1/2 cup of bleach and 1/2 cup of baking soda together for white loads. The baking soda masks some of the bleach smell and makes the bleach even more effective. The white laundry comes out whiter and fresher as a result.